Psychology Program Manager

VA Careers - Psychologist: Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Functions or Scope of Assigned Duties include but are not limited to the following:

The Program Manager provides direction for BHIP teams made up of social workers psychologists psychiatrists nurses and other mental health professionals. The position is responsible for developing program goals establishing and refining workflows and ensuring services meet clinical expectations accreditation requirements and national initiatives.

This position requires advanced mental health knowledge strong leadership skills and experience in managing complex behavioral health programs. The Program Manager operates with considerable independence and serves as a primary advisor to Mental Health leadership on program operations compliance and future planning.

The Psychology Program Manager provides administrative oversight for daily BHIP and Neuropsychology operations and ensures that clinical services are organized efficient and consistent with VA standards. The incumbent evaluates workflow and workload patterns identifies operational issues and implements adjustments to support effective team functioning.

The Program Manager offers guidance on processes assists staff in resolving operational barriers and maintains clear communication across interdisciplinary team members. The role includes reviewing program data coordinating improvements and ensuring that procedures remain current with changes in staffing demand or policy.

The incumbent represents BHIP and Neuropsychology in operational planning within Mental Health and collaborates with other service areas on shared processes resource needs and system-wide initiatives. The position exercises independent judgment in managing clinical operations and contributes to decisions that affect service delivery and program performance.

The Psychology Program Manager carries out clinical duties for approximately half of their time providing direct assessment treatment and care coordination services to Veterans. The incumbent delivers evidence-based interventions within their scope of practice conducts comprehensive psychosocial assessments and develops individualized treatment plans in collaboration with interdisciplinary team members. Clinical responsibilities include managing a caseload appropriate for a GS-14 advanced psychologist offering individual and group interventions and ensuring continuity of care for Veterans with complex mental health needs. The Program Manager participates in case consultations provides clinical guidance as appropriate and maintains accurate and timely documentation in accordance with VA standards. The incumbent ensures clinical care aligns with BHIP practice models and contributes to meeting access needs within the program. This includes responding to urgent clinical situations supporting coverage needs when staffing changes occur and participating in team-based care activities required to sustain consistent high-quality clinical services.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Basic Requirements:

a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3 section A paragraph 3.g this part.

b. Education
(1) Have a doctoral degree in psychology from a graduate program in psychology accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA) the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) or the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) at the time the program was completed. The specialty area of the degree must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. For the purpose of meeting this requirement the term specialty area refers to the specific specialty areas recognized by the accrediting body and not to specific job duties that might require special skills. Currently APA accredits doctoral programs in the specialty areas of clinical psychology counseling psychology school psychology or combinations of two or more of those areas. PCSAS accredits doctoral programs in psychological clinical science. CPA accredits doctoral programs in clinical psychology counseling psychology clinical neuropsychology and school psychology. There are no job assignments in VHA that require the skills of a school psychologist; therefore an applicant with a degree in the specialty area of school psychology is not eligible for appointment. Strictly for the purpose of determining eligibility for appointment as a psychologist in VHA there is no distinction between the specialty areas (with the exception of school psychology) OR
(2) Have a doctoral degree in any area of psychology and in addition successfully complete a re- specialization program (including documentation of an approved internship completed as part of the re- specialization program) meeting both of the following conditions:
(a) The re-specialization program must be completed in an APA or a CPA accredited doctoral program; and
(b) the specialty in which the applicant is retrained must be consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed.

NOTE: The applicant must provide an official transcript and/or certificate documenting the completion of the re-specialization program which includes completion of an APA or CPA internship. Psychologists who have successfully completed a re-specialization program as described above and who were employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs prior to the implementation of this standard are considered to have fully met the educational requirements of these qualification standards.
OR
(3) Have a doctoral degree awarded between 1951 and 1978 from a regionally-accredited institution with a dissertation primarily psychological in nature. AND

(4) Internships
(a) Have successfully completed a professional psychology internship training program that was accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed and that is consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. OR

(b) New VHA psychology internship programs that are in the process of applying for APA accreditation are acceptable in fulfillment of the internship requirement provided that such programs were sanctioned by the VHA Central Office Program Director for Psychology and the VHA Office of Academic Affiliations at the time that the individual was an intern OR

(c) VHA facilities that offered full-time one-year pre-doctoral internships prior to PL 96- 151 (pre- 1979) are considered to be acceptable in fulfillment of the internship requirement; OR

(d) Applicants who completed an internship that was not accredited by APA or CPA at the time the program was completed may be considered eligible for hire only if they are currently board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty area that is consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. (NOTE: Once board certified the employee is required to maintain board certification.)

c. Licensure. Hold a full current and unrestricted license to practice psychology at the doctoral level in a State Territory or Commonwealth of the United States or the District of Columbia.

d. Board Certification and Loss of Credential

(1) Board Certification. Persons hired to psychology positions in the VHA who completed an internship that was not accredited at the time the program was completed must be board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology in a specialty area that is consistent with the assignment for which the applicant is to be employed. The board certificate must be current and the applicant must abide by the certifying bodys requirement for continuing education

Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019

English Language Proficiency. Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 Part II Chapter 3 section A paragraph 3j.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Psychology Program Manager GS-14

Experience. At least three years of experience as a professional psychologist with at least one year equivalent to the GS-13 grade level.

Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Ability to organize work set priorities delegate tasks and meet multiple deadlines.
2. Knowledge of and ability to utilize evidence based practices and clinical practice guidelines appropriately and ability to guide staff in using these tools.
3. Ability to deal effectively with individuals or groups.
4. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives.
5. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations.
6. Ability to establish and monitor production and performance priorities and standards.
7. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.

(c) Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope complexity (difficulty) and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Psychologist program managers have broad program management responsibilities for a specific program or programs that are designed to deliver specialized complex highly professional services that are important program components of the facility and that significantly impact the health care provided to Veterans. Programs include but are not limited to addiction posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) mental health intensive case management (MHICM) mental health compensation and pension examination (C&P) programs Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Centers inpatient mental health residential rehabilitation domiciliary palliative care neuropsychology and internship and postdoctoral fellowship training programs; management of an off- campus site; psychology program oversight and coordination throughout the facility and its affiliated clinics as a psychology executive typically at lower complexity facilities. Decisions made by the Program Manager affect staff and other resources associated with the programs managed and are made while exercising wide latitude and independent judgment.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit position is above full performance level